I started this blog about the same time Air America began. I thought lefty radio was gone -- and it is in my radio market except for a weekend hour or two -- but driving home from Naples last week I forced myself to listen to it.

In the morning, Stephanie Miller, a woman host, and her male side kick were doing the old lefty smear & sneer routine. Not interesting or enlightening. Can't STAND that drivel. At one point, they actually spent about 5 minutes blaming the President for the Utah mine collapse. It seems that the director of the federal mining safety bureau was a recess appointment by President Bush; therefore, the earth quakes that caused the collapse would have been prevented had the President not circumvented congressional oversight.

Huh? Can you say "Bush Derangement Syndrome"?

Later, in the afternoon, I listened to Ed Schultz, a pretty reasonable guy from Minnesota talking about the 2nd amendment and how silly it was for progressives to get bogged down in politically disastrous gun-control debates. The host actually had honest dialog and interesting insights into political issues. I wish he were my neighbor.

Air America Radio filed for bankruptcy reorganization Friday, in the latest patch of turbulence to befall the liberal talk radio network that launched two years ago headlined by the comedian and author Al Franken. The network will continue to operate with funding from its investor group, led by RealNetworks Inc. CEO Robert Glaser, who owns 36.7 percent of the company, and two other former board members...

Air America has struggled financially since its inception. Court documents show the company lost $9.1 million in 2004, $19.6 million in 2005 and $13.1 million so far in 2006.

Radio is the theater of the mind, and therefore of conservatives. Liberals should stick to TV.

From New York, Long Island, Los Angeles and Chicago, there wasn't one piece of good news for Franken and Friends, according to figures posted at Radio & Records.

In New York, Air America flagship WLIB again showed a flat 1.0 audience share, for 24th place. It is still true, despite what you might hear to the contrary, that WLIB's previous Caribbean programming generated higher ratings.

Worse, in Los Angeles its KTLK fell slightly from 0.9 to 0.8, to tie at 30th with two other stations.

Chicago's Air America affilate WCPT-AM tied for last place with a 0.4, while on Long Island, the liberal network's WLIB offerings fell from 1.3 to 0.9, for 29th place overall.

You might have noticed a bit of slacking off here at The Happy Carpenter lately. That's because I feel exactly like my ol' blog buddy Porph does:

This is one of the things that has contributed to my lack of blogging recently. By no means the only reason I haven't blogged, but a significant one. Repeatedly having to rebut "BUSH LIED"! and all the other bogus distractions that act as a substitute for intelligent civic discourse is not my idea of the best use of time. I know it has to be done, and I can link to all the things, be they on WMD, intelligence, ties to terrorism (see below) and the like which refutes the litany, have done it before and likely will do it again, but this Sisyphean task grows wearisome.

Indeed. Plus, it's August. Go with it. Even though, down here in Florida, the kinder are back in school, it's still the summer doldrums. It's 93 degrees and 93% humidity, and the damn boat is sinking, so I've got to go.

The liberal Air America Radio, just past its first birthday, has probably enjoyed more free publicity than any enterprise in recent history. But don't believe the hype: Air America's left-wing answer to conservative talk radio is failing, just as previous efforts to find liberal Rush Limbaughs have failed.

And look at Air America's ratings: They're pitifully weak, even in places where you would think they'd be strong. WLIB, its flagship in New York City, has sunk to 24th in the metro area Arbitron ratings — worse than the all-Caribbean format it replaced, notes the Radio Blogger. In the liberal meccas of San Francisco and Los Angeles, Air America is doing lousier still.

Unlike most of you, I'd bet, I've spent quite a few hours listening to Air America. It's mostly snide and dull. No surprise it's failing to get many listeners. Lefties say their talk radio does poorly because they're too smart for that medium. Really. OK, keep saying that. Sheesh.

I can NOT believe how many idiots think the woman may be culpable because of the tricks she pulled on the criminal to save her life. I just never knew there were so many hammerheads out there... and to think the original jury was hung on the rape charge!

Ladies, go buy a gun. Better, MUCH better, to be judged for a self-defense shooting than for rape. Also better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Seen at low tide

HummingbirdFinally, my first hummingbirds. Saw them on a fire bush in Crystal Beach, FL. My rental's neighbor's yard is all xeriscaped, which is ugly to me but just fine with the little hummers. At first, I thought they were the biggest hornets I'd ever seen.

Flamingo!One of these dudes flew right over my house. I couldn't believe it. And please don't tell me it was a roseated spoonbill because it was a frickin' flamingo, dude! Huge and pink and right there above me. I was like so freaking out, you know?

Black SkimmerThese beauties are getting scarce, but one flew by yesterday at low tide on the hunt for minnows.

Dead sea turtlecool, but smelly

Reddish EgretThese have been hanging out around the pool quite a bit lately. Must be a new group of adolesent birds -- the youngsters like to hunt where the water is clear, and it takes them a day to figure out there are not now and never will be fish in the swimming pool no matter how clear the water.

Sand Piper

Brown PelicanI saw a flock of about 200 of these at Disappearing Island yesterday, just south of Anclote Island on the west coast of FL. Good to see such a large flock.

Wood PeckerThey've developed a sudden interest in the orange tree, which just went into bloom.